Marine algae have so far widely been used for foods in the forms of, for example, tangle stock, scraped tangle, vinegared dishes of vegetables and marine algae, vinegared dishes of Mozuku, seasoned tangle, vinegared tangle, marine algae salad and cooked foods. Further, agar, sodium algate and carrageenan which are extracted from marine algae are widely utilized in the fields of medicines, foods and cosmetics.
On the other hand, marine algae contain a plenty of minerals such as iodine, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and copper and water-soluble dietary fibers, and they are effective for prevention of high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis, prevention of colon cancer, prevention of senile change starting from intestines, dissolution of constipation, a reduction in a blood sugar value, supplement of calcium, prevention of a reduction in an immune strength caused by shortage of minerals and prevention of hepatic cirrhosis and myocardial infarct caused by shortage of potassium. Particularly in recent years, it is said that life habit diseases such as cancer, cardiac disease, cerebral apoplexy, diabetes, high blood pressure and renal disease are caused largely by food life, and intake of marine algae is being looked at again.
Marine algae powder and grains and tablets and capsules containing them are commercially available in the market as health foods for the purpose of taking marine algae, but they usually have very bad taste and are inferior in tastiness. In addition thereto, polysaccharides contained in marine algae are scarcely digestive, and important minerals contained in marine algae are combined with alga components in an insoluble form, so that there are the problems that even if marine algae are used for foods in the form of powder and grains, it is difficult to digest and absorb minerals and sugar as nutrient components and that incapable of being sufficiently displayed are the effects of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, sodium and zinc which are origins of important taste and body for foods.